LOCAL INTELLIGENCE
Watch your pocketbook—and your neck. Purse snatching and pickpocketing are common, and gold necklaces and cameras are prime targets of thieves on scooters. Cabs were strictly regulated a few years ago, so the drivers are honest. Hopping a public bus—jam-packed and often with only wisps of air-conditioning—is an adventure best left to locals and the most intrepid travelers.

A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
For a chance to experience Naples like a local, head over to Da Michele in Forcella, a rough neighborhood on the edge of trouble. One of the city's oldest and most famous pizzerias, it offers brusque nonstop service until 11 p.m. (1 Via Cesare Sersale; 39-081-553-9204; pizzas, $4-$6).

THE PERFECT SOUVENIR
Christmas is celebrated year-round on the Naples street where Italians go to buy nativity figures known as presepe. Stop at Giuseppe e Marco Ferrigno, the granddaddy of presepe shops (8 Via San Gregorio Armeno; 39-081-552-3148). The owner speaks English and loves to show off his work. Nearby, there is a magnificent church that shares the same name as the street.